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IDB announces first Amazonia Bonds and expects Brazil to follow in

Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) first Amazonia Bond raised $100 million to combat deforestation, boost local communities and support them, according to its chief. Other countries will follow soon.

The coupon rate for the five-year bond is 3.802%.

Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB, said that the operation is the start of a plan for the IDB to issue bonds up to $1 billion "over time." He added that the Brazilian government has told them they intend to issue similar bonds using the same framework developed by the IDB and the World Bank.

Brazil's Treasury said that "studies are underway" to evaluate the issue of Amazonia Bonds. The Treasury issued its first sustainable sovereign bond in 2023, under a framework it developed itself.

Brazil, Colombia, and Peru are three of the countries that work to protect the Amazon rainforest. This region is home to over 10% of all known species on the planet.

Goldfajn stated that the issuance was part of a package IDB initiatives aimed at boosting sustainable finance in advance of next week's COP30 Climate Summit.

About $3 billion of this amount will be used to provide currency-hedging services to Brazil through a derivatives agreement with the central banks, who will then extend the service to the local banks. Goldfajn explained that the currency-hedging, announced last year as part Eco Invest – a Brazilian government initiative to attract foreign capital for long-term sustainable project – took time to overcome its technical obstacles.

The ISDA agreement will now be signed the following week. The triple-A rating of the IDB is being used to provide lower-cost, longer-term hedging against fluctuations in the local currency.

The Brazilian real has gained more than 13% this year, after losing over 20% in 2024. Lula's government will announce a fourth Eco Invest Auction as part of the COP30 announcements. This auction is now aimed at Amazon bioeconomy projects and nature-based tourist infrastructure.

Goldfajn stated that the IDB would also seek to increase access to financing for regional cities via its Amazonia Forever Program so they could improve their resilience to flooding, droughts and fires.

He added that the project was developed in conjunction with Nordic partners, who provided guarantees for lending.

He said that when people in other countries hear about the Amazon, they only think of the forest. "For years, that narrow view focused on deforestation. That's changing. "Our approach is holistic. If we provide people with sustainable living conditions and income, they can live in peace within the forest." (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

(source: Reuters)